Inside the Good Hunter Restaurant, Mona finally removed her witch's hat.
It was something she only wore when going outside.
After all, she needed to maintain the mysterious image of a witch—or astrologer in public.
With the hat off, her two neat twin ponytails and their elegant black ribbons were revealed.
They looked extremely cute.
Mona skillfully began cleaning up the dining table.
It was clear this wasn't the first time she had done something like this.
After finishing, she went upstairs to the second floor, sat neatly on a chair, and placed both hands politely on her knees.
Her bright light-green eyes stared expectantly toward the kitchen.
"What would you like to eat?"
Jiang Chen's voice came from the stove.
"Sa… salad will be fine."
Mona swallowed nervously as she spoke.
The salad at Good Hunter was nothing like the cheap vegetable salads she usually made.
It was incredibly delicious.
And eating it for dinner meant she wouldn't wake up hungry in the middle of the night.
Jiang Chen knew she often ate salad to save money.
Hearing that, he glanced at her figure.
It definitely looked like her growth had been affected.
When noble ladies in Mondstadt ate salad, it was for fashion and dieting—and it always included some meat.
But Mona's salad was simply vegetables and fruit, chosen only because it was cheap, easy to make, and filling.
Meat?
Not even in her dreams.
With a body like hers, that chest should definitely be bigger than a barely passable level two.
"Only salad?"
Jiang Chen confirmed.
"Yes! Salad is the best food in the world!"
Mona said firmly.
Her subconscious had basically brainwashed herself.
"What about that grilled steak you had before?"
Jiang Chen asked again.
"…."
Mona swallowed.
Instinctively she believed salad was the best food in the world.
But dishes from Good Hunter were tied for second place.
Even though she insisted salad was the "necessity," while the other dishes were just for satisfying cravings.
"…Wouldn't that be too wasteful?"
Mona asked cautiously.
Every time she came, Jiang Chen always made extra food for her.
That made her feel extremely embarrassed.
"Forget it."
Jiang Chen shook his head.
Mona felt a faint sense of disappointment—
but also relief.
"I'll make Three-Immortal Bird Mushroom Soup for you instead."
Jiang Chen glanced at the available ingredients.
The "three birds" were hen, sparrow, and pigeon, all of which the restaurant had.
Add some matsutake mushrooms, salt, cooking wine, and a few other ingredients, and it could be simmered into soup.
This kind of soup was excellent for growth and nourishment.
Of course, Mona had never heard of it.
In fact, almost nobody in Mondstadt had ever tasted such a dish.
But just hearing the name made it sound incredibly fancy.
Feeling uneasy, she quickly refused.
"No need, salad is fine!"
Jiang Chen smiled slightly.
"If you refuse, you don't get the salad either."
Grrrlll…
Mona's stomach surrendered faster than her pride.
She immediately covered her belly, her cheeks and ears burning red.
"T-then… I'll gratefully accept."
"See? Your stomach is honest."
Jiang Chen first prepared a salad for her to fill her stomach.
"Fulfillment Salad" was a common dish across Teyvat.
It consisted of cabbage, apples, eggs or bird eggs, and potatoes arranged into a platter.
The difference in taste mainly depended on freshness of ingredients and seasoning balance.
In Mondstadt, Good Hunter's version had the best reputation.
"Come take it."
Jiang Chen said.
Mona was correct about one thing—
Salad was indeed easy to make.
After washing his hands, Jiang Chen began preparing the second dish: Three-Immortal Bird Mushroom Soup.
The ingredients were ready.
The key lay in timing the ingredients, controlling the heat, and stirring properly.
Meanwhile, Mona sat at the table eating salad with a blissful expression.
"This is so extravagant…"
She couldn't help murmuring.
Meanwhile — Outside a Mondstadt Inn
Lumine and Paimon had just been rejected again.
This was the last inn they could find.
Apparently, after the storm earlier that day, everyone assumed no travelers would arrive in Mondstadt.
Most inns had closed early.
No matter how much Paimon knocked, nobody answered.
Lumine sat on a wooden bench outside the inn, resting her chin on her hand and looking troubled.
Paimon had already finished digesting the food and floated down beside her.
"We're not that unlucky, right?"
"We entered the city only to end up sleeping on the street?"
Paimon thought seriously for a moment and then said proudly:
"Lumine… maybe we actually have great talent as travelers!"
"…You should apologize to all travelers immediately."
Lumine retorted.
Sleeping outdoors in the wilderness was one thing.
But sleeping on the street after entering a city?
That was embarrassing.
"But Lumine, why did you lie to Jiang Chen earlier?"
"I didn't even have time to explain! We obviously didn't book an inn!"
Paimon complained.
Even sleeping in the Good Hunter dining hall would have been fine.
At least it was warm.
And it smelled like food!
"Well…"
"Jiang Chen brought that girl named Mona back."
"If they wanted to… you know… be intimate…"
"It wouldn't be appropriate if we stayed there."
Lumine understood that much at least.
"I-intimate?"
Paimon understood the meaning too.
But she didn't understand why it mattered.
She put her hands on her hips and declared confidently:
"That's something adults do. What does it have to do with us?!"
Lumine thought about it.
Surprisingly—
Paimon actually made a little sense.
"…But if we go back now, it'll be embarrassing."
"I already told Jiang Chen we had booked a room."